Alexander
Volkov saw the need to change course.
The former
Bellator
MMA
champion will attempt to rebound from a humbling submission
defeat to
Tom
Aspinall when he locks horns with
Jairzinho
Rozenstruik in the
UFC Fight Night 207 headliner on June 4 at the UFC Apex in Las
Vegas. Volkov surrendered to a straight armbar from the surging
Aspinall two months ago and chose not to stand pat in terms of
preparation.
“I have thoughts and ideas about my professional growth, and
indeed, my last fight has pushed me to make changes,” he told
Sherdog.com. “This time, I did not prepare in Moscow. I went to the
Olympic sports base at an altitude of about [4,600 feet] above sea
level, where I trained with new sparring partners and coaches.
“I think this change had a positive effect on me,” Volkov added. “I
went to the mountains to have my camp there. The special air and
climate allow you to develop great stamina and physical
performance. I worked to prepare for five rounds of intensive work
in the Octagon.”
Rozenstruik, who carries a 6-3 record inside the Octagon, has
alternated wins and losses in each of his past five outings but
brings frightening physical tools to the cage. He has three
sub-minute finishes on his resume, so Volkov chose his stablemates
with the heavy-handed “Bigi Boy” in mind.
“My sparring partners were big guys with strong punching power,” he
said. “They copied my next opponent’s style perfectly. Although it
was on short notice, I managed to get a lot of work done. I aim to
remain in the same shape for the fight.”
Volkov admits the loss to Aspinall still stings but put plans in
motion to account for the flaws that led to his first submission
defeat in more than a decade.
“All I can say about this fight is that the opponent was stronger
than me on that night,” he said. “I had certain issues with
workouts and morale. However, that’s part of the game. I showed a
lack of determination and bowed to external pressure. Perhaps, I
needed certain changes of lifestyle and should have abstained more
from the informational flow to be fully focused on my
training.”
Rozenstruik presents unique challenges of his own. The 34-year-old
Surinamese striker owns victories over
Alistair
Overeem,
Andrei
Arlovski and
Junior dos
Santos but finds himself on the rebound following a unanimous
decision loss to
Curtis
Blaydes at UFC 266 in September. Volkov likes the matchup.
“It’s good for me that my next opponent is a puncher and probably
will prefer standup fighting,” he said. “I think my technical
skills are better, and I have more physical strength. My job will
be to put up a good fight and, from start to finish, stay focused
and be ready for any of his attacks. I can say that I also have
something to surprise him with. I’m focused on my development. I
like to train, and as long as there’s an opportunity, I’m ready to
perform.
“I accepted this bout with about a month’s notice,” Volkov added,
“and I’m glad to use this chance to prove myself and have a good
fight.”